World's biggest manufacturer of surgical gloves, Top Glove plans to close over half its factories after a surge in coronavirus cases among workers. The company has seen a huge jump in demand since the start of the pandemic as countries scrambled to stock up on protective equipment, pushing up both its profits and share price.
However, virus outbreaks amongst employees at factories near Kuala Lumpur are forcing the company to shut its operations again. The company recently registered 1.000 new cases of coronavirus and therefore decided to shut 28 factories.
Top Glove operates 47 factories, of which 41 are in Malaysia. Many of its workers hail from Nepal and live in crowded dormitory complexes. The company produces over 70 billion gloves a year and is a major global supplier. In July this, the US has banned imports from two of the company’s subsidiaries over concerns about forced labor.
